Portuguese PM calls for a “Ronaldo mentality” to “raise the bar” on wages and state reform
In his Christmas message, Portuguese PM assured that the Govt. is on the field "playing to win". We must take advantage of the next "three and a half years without elections” to aim higher, he argues.
Portugal can “raise the bar” for growth, improve wages and complete the reform of the public administration if it manages to take advantage of the conditions it has, increase productivity and have a “Cristiano Ronaldo mentality”.
This was the appeal made by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro in his second Christmas message, in which he called for the seven main “conditions” that the country benefits from to be used to do more, because it has “about three and a half years without national elections” ahead of it. He also praised Portugal’s international achievements and the fulfilment of its objectives and commitments in terms of employment and wages.
“We have everything we need to raise the bar and set new ambitions. New ambitions in the functioning of the administration, as we are already doing with the process of simplification and reform of the State. New wage ambitions, as a result of a transformative agenda which, with its strategic and structural vision, will allow us to be more productive and efficient”, he said.
The seven “conditions” from which Portugal is operating, listed by the Prime Minister in his speech, are “economic growth, financial stability, security, skilled human resources, an appetite for new technologies, geostrategic location and the capacity for dialogue in the international context”.
Government wants to “play to win”
“In the situation we are in, we have two options: either we are content with this circumstance, in which we are doing well, but we know that if we remain like this in the medium term, we will lose out to the progress of others; or we take advantage of the situation we are in and ensure our own progress so that we continue to grow more than others”, said the Prime Minister.
In this context, Luís Montenegro used another sports metaphor to explain what his Executive wants: the second option. “It’s the difference between playing for a draw or having the winning mentality of always playing to win”. Therefore, it is necessary to have or develop a “mentality of overcoming”, a “mentality of not putting off until tomorrow what we can do today” or, in other words, a “Cristiano Ronaldo mentality” to create wealth, he summarised.
According to the head of government, Portugal has reasons to look to the near future with hope, as the end of this year has brought more reasons to believe in 2026 and “that we are on the right track”, which is that of growth, stability and “implementing a transformative agenda” towards a stronger and more resilient country.
As examples of international recognition, the Prime Minister recalled Portugal’s distinction as economy of the year by the British magazine ‘The Economist’ and the fact that the real per capita income of Portuguese households increased the most in 2024 among the countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). However, Portuguese households also saw their real incomes shrink the most in the first three months of 2025.
In his opinion, The Economist’s choice is not just theory. “Portuguese incomes are rising and our economy is growing consistently above the European average. Last year, we were actually the OECD country where workers saw the greatest increase in their income, due to higher wages and lower taxes on labour. This shows that the distinction we received from The Economist magazine, of being the economy of the year in 2025, is not a theoretical award”, he assured.
Luís Montenegro also reiterated that the “economic solidity” that is being built is based on a model of rising wages and falling taxes. “This path requires political courage and reformist capacity. We need to be more efficient and more productive in order to reach new levels of growth that will bring new levels of income”, he concluded.
